Oar and oar-lock



(No Model.) A

' M. CHASE.

OAR AND OAR LOCK.

No. 260.370. Patented July 4, A41882'.

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' 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

MOSES CHASE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

OAR AND OAR-LOCK.

SP'ECIFICATION forming part of VLetters Patent No. 260,370, dated July 4, 1882.

Application filed March 16, A1882. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, MOSES CHASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in

specification. l

This invention relates to oars which are divided and geared in such manner as to allow the rower to sit with his face to the bow,thongh pulling with the ordinary mot-ion.

' The said invention consists in the construction and combination ot' devices hereinafter set forth, whereby suoli oars are conveniently Vattached to and detached from the boat and locked and unlocked at will.

The drawings accompanying this specilication represent, in Figurel, a plan of an oar' and its operative parts, the top plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section, and Fig. 3 a side elevation, of an oar containing my invention. Fig. 4'is a plan (top plate removed) of a, modified form of construction, and Fig. 5 a detail plan view of' the gunwaleplate.

In these drawings, A represents an oar consisting of two parts- B the blade, and C the inboard portion-:and these parts are divided in about the same relative proportions as the oar would have when resting in an ordinary rowlock. rIhe plate or yoke D,to which these respective portions B and C are fastened or pivoted, consists of a metal casting composed of malleable iron galvanized, or ot' brass, .which is preferable. The general form of this plate or yoke is cylindrical, with two ears or lobes, aa', projecting in axial alignment with the beam of the boat, these ears or lobes giving more length to the plate D, and consequently greater bearing-surface and stability to the segmental geared plates, hereinafter to be described, and to which the two portions 'of the oar proper are to be attached. Said plate D consists of an upper and lower casing, E F, suitably connected, and between which the individual parts B G of the oar A move or play in effecting the propulsion of the boat.

To the inner end of the blade portion B of the oar'A, I attach a suitable metal connection orjoint, b, 'and this joint (in the drawings referred to) is a flat semicircular plate having a cylindrical tongue or projection, c, this latter portion to be cast ofthe proper size to receive the inner end of the blade portion, to which it lis firmly and securely fastened.

At the center, or approximately thereto, ot' the semicircular portion d is formed a bolthoie, e, and through this hole is passed a bolt forming the pivotf, also passingthrough both upper and lower casing and secured thereto. The outer or blade portion of the oar swings uponV this pivot. The outer periphery of this semicircular plate has gear or spur teeth form ed or cast thereon, and extending for a distance of one hundred and veighty degrees, or thereabout, and enabling the two portions to be closed, so as to lie parallel with each other and also with the heel of the boat, thereby obvi- 'ating thedificulty or necessity of unshipping the oar when coming alongside of a vessel, wharf, or landing, the blade ofthe oar being so swung inboard as not to extend beyond the side ofthe boat to which it is attached, and still have the two peripherally spurred or geared portions remain in contact ready for future operations.

The inboard portion C ofthe oar proper, A, y

has a similar plate or yoke, g, to which it is suitably attached, the plate being pivoted in a similar manner to the corresponding plate, b', of the blade portion of the oar, said plate being likewise provided with spurs or teeth on its circular periphery, into which the teeth of -its twin plate b lock, thereby causing similar motions of the blade with the inboard portion.

To the top side of the inner lobe or projection, a', of the upper plate or casing is attached a small ring, h, or other suitable device, into which a pin or key, i, attached lto the upper part of the inboard portion C passes,there by locking the parts B O by means of the intermeshing teeth to the plate or yoke proper, D, and making a unit ofthe whole. 'Ihe oar, with its plate, can' then be easily removed from the boat and carried away without the objection of the two portions swinging about.

I will now proceed to describe the device by which the plate or yoke D, with its operatingoar A, is attached to the boat.

To the under side of the lower casing, F, at a suitable distance apart, I attach two ears or projections, j j; or they may be cast integral with the lower plate, and these ears are in axial alignment with the long axis of the plate D, or at right angles to the beam of the boat. To the extremities of the ears I pivot an oblong rectangular pin, G, with an arrow-shaped head, the latter acting not only as a bearingsurface, but preventing the further entrance ot' the pin G into a metal plate, II, securely fastened to the gunwale. This plate H', attached to the gunwale, has a projecting ear, 7c, with a hole bored therein to receive an ordinary rowloek, if necessary. In the center of this plate H is cast or formed a hollow oblong rectangular piece, I, projecting down through the gunwale to the inside of the boat. Into this metal piece I is thrust the rectangular pin G, above described, which snugly fits thereto. Said pin G is hollow, and has a dog, N, pivoted within it and pressed outward by a spring, n. On the side of this dog a nose is formed, which is forced by said spring to protrude through slot g in the side of said pin and into a slot, t', in piece I, so as to lool; the said pin in said piece. The lower end of said dog is provided with a handle which extends through slot g in the bottom of said pin, so that it can be grasped bythe occupant for releasing the pin from its attachment to the boat.

A modified form of construction is shown in Fig. 4, in which the same form of plate or yoke is used; but instead of the segmental gears shown in Fig. 1, I form the secondary connecting-plate orjoint b (pivoted iu the same manner as the segmental gears) with a quartertwist or elbow, m, the blade portion being turned in the direction of the stern and the inboard portion toward the bow, their extremities being provided with pins or bolts n n, to which is pivoted a suitable connecting joint or rod,p, whereby the same movements of the two portions B C are effected as with the segmental gears before described.

My invention is simple, inexpensive, and readily applied, and does not prevent the use of ordinary rowlocks and oars in case they are preferred, and is especially adapted for wildfowl shooting, as the sportsman can face his game, row quietly and steadily, and when the opportune moment comes release the oars, which do not slip or slide away, nor be obliged t0 unship his oars, therebydscommoding him, but they remain in position ready to be again grasped when occasion requires.

Vhat I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is-

1. The divided oar, in combination with the upper and lower plates or casings, E F, the latter having lugs j formed on the under side thereof, the hollow pin G, having an arrowhead which is pivoted between said lugs, and a spring-pressed dog pivoted within said pin and engaging with an attachment of the boat, as set forth.

2. rIlhe plate H, attached to the gunwale, and having the downwardlyextending hollow piece I, which is slotted at t', in combination with hollow pin G, which is constructed with slots gg' in its bottom and side, and pivoted springpressed dog N, arranged within said pin, and provided with a locking-nose which protrudes through slots g t', and a handle which extends down through slot g, substantially as set forth.

3. The upper plate, E, provided with eye or socket It, in combination with the oar provided with a bolt, and having its divided middle part located between plates E and F, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

MOSES CHASE.

W'itnesses:

H. E. LODGE, F. CURTIS. 

